Commentators at The Guardian argue that US president Donald Trump has boxed himself into a corner by launching a war against Iran. In their view, he has created a contradiction at the heart of his own strategy: he needs a quick, demonstrative victory to avoid a drawn-out conflict, yet at the same time he is interested in a longer war that would give him extra leverage over domestic politics and the electoral process.

The newspaper notes that changing the regime in Iran cannot be achieved through a short series of lightning strikes or targeted killings. Trump, who they describe as focused on short-term gain, is seen as neither psychologically nor politically prepared for a protracted, difficult war. Instead of a limited operation modelled on Venezuela, he risks being dragged into a long conflict that, in their assessment, would look much closer to the one in Ukraine.

The Guardian also points out that by starting the campaign against Iran, Trump has effectively staked his political future, despite repeatedly promising over the years that he would not launch new wars. From the very beginning of his rise in politics, rejection of foreign military adventures was a core element of the appeal of his «America First» message.

According to the authors, the war with Iran is closely bound up with Trump’s central domestic priority: preventing the Democrats from taking control of Congress in the midterm elections. Within this logic, foreign adversaries become a convenient tool for exerting pressure on political opponents at home.